Rebounding toy



Nov. 16, 1965 E. D. RICHARD 3,218,071

REBOUNDING TOY Filed April 1'7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. D. RICHARD REBOUNDING TOY Nov. 16, 1965 Filed April 17, 1962 United States Patent C) 3,218,071 REBOUNDING TOY Eugene D. Richard, 11570 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, Calif. Filed Apr. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 188,225 7 Claims. (Ci. 273-58) The present invention relates to toys and more particularly to a toy which is dropped onto a surface and thereafter rebounds to a height far greater than that from which dropped.

It is a major object of my invention to provide a toy of this type that is susceptible of being disguised in a variety of congurations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character incorporating a spring means which can be preloaded and positively latched in the preloaded condition, the latch being adapted for automatic release upon impact of the toy with a surface on which it is dropped whereby the toy rebounds to a height greater than that from which dropped due to the release of the spring force.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy of this character incorporating an easily engageable positive latch means that is, nevertheless, automatically released upon impact with the toy with the ground surface.

A still further object of the .invention is to provide a rebounding toy in which a considerable spring force can be stored but at the same time having spring means that are readily or easily preloaded so as to be usable by very small children.

The invention also has for an object the provision of a durable rebounding toy having a very simple construction so as to be very economically reproduced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when taken in `conjunction with the annexed drawings.

FIGURE l is a pictorial representation of the intended mode of use of the toy, particularly showing the rebounding of the toy to a height greatly in excess of that from which dropped.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the toy being shown in the preloaded condition.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on a diametral plane through the vertical axis of the toy, the toy being shown in an unstressed condition of the springs.

FIGURE 4 is a partial vertical sectional view of the lower end of the toy but showing the latch means engaged to hold the spring loading of the toy.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of an `alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on a diametral plane through the axis of the toy and showing the latch disengaged with the toy in unstressed or relaxed condition.

FIGURE 7 is a partial vertical sectional view also on the axis of the toy but showing the latch engaged.

Referring now to FIGURE l, a boy 10 is represented as holding a preferred embodiment of the invention, designated generally by the numeral 11. As held by the boy, the toy 11 will be seen to be of somewhat oblate configuration (also representing by its configuration in FIG- URE 2) when the springs have been preloaded. When the toy 11 is released from the grasp of the boy it falls to a ground surface. The impact force then causes release of the latch means and the spring means thereafter re- 3,Zl8,07l Patented Nov. 16, 1965 bounds the toy to a far greater height than that from which it is released.

More specically, the toy 11 includes an elongated tubular member 12, preferably of thin walled aluminum, that is coaxially related to an elongated shaft 13. The upper member 12 at its lower end is closed by a relatively heavy cap 14 of generally cylindrical shape. This cap has la reduced diameter section 15 receivable within the lower end of the tubular member 12 and that denes an exterior upwardly facing shoulder 16 on the cap 14 for engagement with the lower end of the tubular member 12. The shoulder is of greater radial width than the wall thickness of the tubular member whereby to provide a seat for an endless weld securing the cap to the lower end of the tubular member. The cap 14 has an axially extending bore 17 slidably receiving the shaft 13 .in coaxial alignment with the tubular member 12.

At its upper end, the tubular member 12 is closed by a disc 18 of greater diameter than the diameter of the tubular member and a similar disc 19 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 13. These discs may, of course, be secured to the upper member of the tubular member 12 and to the lower end of the shaft 13 by any suitable means. Thus, the upper disc 18 is also preferably of aluminum and may be welded to the tubular member 12. The lower disc 19 is preferably of steel or other material heavier than the disc 18 and may be seated on an enlarged head 20 of the shaft 13 and held in place by a lock nut 21 engaged with a threaded section of the shaft.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the spring means is a plurality of hoop type springs, which may be made of a at band flexible material or a piano wire, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring takes the form of a plurality of lengths of piano wire, each of the wires being designated by the numeral 22. Each of the discs 18 and 19 is formed with a plurality of radially disposed blind bores 23 opening into the periphery of the disc and each bore receives an end of a length of wire 22. The wire at each end is staked or otherwise secured to the discs 18 and 19 and assumes the substantially semi-circular shape shown in FIGURE 3. While each wire 22 is shown as being disposed substantially diametrically of the toy 11, it will be apparent that a helical twist could be given to the wires and retained by providing cooperating keyway means in the shaft 13 and the cap 14 of the lower end of the tubular member 12. In any event, it will be apparent that the hoop spring a-rrangement illustrated can be stressed merely by applying opposed pressure to the opposite pair of discs 18 and 19.

The tubular member 12 and shaft 13 undergo relative inward telescoping motion in response to the application of opposed pressures to the discs 18 and 19, the wires 22 then being stressed. Near its lower end, the shaft 13 is formed with a detent 24 that moves into confronting registration with a latch 2S mounted on the cap 14, the latch 25 then being movable into engagement with the detent 24. While such engagement of the latch with the detent can be accomplished with the toy 11 in the upright position shown in FIGURE 3, merely by reaching in between a pair of wires 22 to move the latch, I have provided a mounting of the latch 25 to accomplish automatic latching merely by first inverting the toy 11 and then applying opposed force to the discs 18 and 19.

More specifically, the cap 14 in its normally lower end is formed with a diametrically extending slot 26 of suicient width to freely pass the shaft 13. The latch 25 is a generally triangularly shaped plate of a width to be freely movable within the slot 26 and is pivotally supported at one apex on a pin 2'7 secured in the lower end of the cap 14 to extend between opposite faces of the slot 26. As is shown in FIGURE 3, when the toy I1 is in upright position, the latch 25 hangs in the solid outline position indicated. When the toy is inverted, the latch 2S assumes the position relative to the shaft 13 indicated by the phantom outline position of the latch, the latch then having one edge slidably contacting the confronting face of the shaft. Thus, if the toy 11 be inverted and opposite pressures then applied to the discs 18 and 19, the latch 2b' will automatically engage the detent 24 of the shaft 13 when the two come into registration. The opposed pressure on the opposite poles of the toy can then be released and the spring force of the wires 22 then causes forceful engagement of the latch with the detent. In this connection, as is shown in FIGURE 4, the latch 25 has a latch face 25a engaged by a downwardly facing shoulder 24a of the detent 24 and as this contact is radially outwardly offset from the common axes of the shaft 13 and tubular member 12, a couple is set up relative to the pivot axis of the latch thus giving a secure and positive latching action which will only be released by impact of the lower end of the toy l1 with a ground surface or the like. It will be observed that the latch mechanism is unidirectional in effect, preventing relative outward movement of the shaft 13 and tubular member 12, but permitting relative inward movement of the two members.

As the shaft 13 is solid, as is the cap 1d and as both of these members and the latch 25 are disposed within the same hemisphere of the toy 11, the toy has a center of gravity disposed to cause it to assume the normally upright position shown in FIGURE 3 during a free fall. Assuming the toy to have been preloaded in the manner previously described, the toy is now held in substantially upright position and dropped and during free fall assumes and holds the upright position of FIGURE 3. When the lower disc 19 strikes a hard surface, its movement and that of the shaft 13 is arrested but the remainder of the parts of the toy continue their downward movement because of the kinetic energy involved. This effects further relative inward movement of the shaft 13 into the tubular member 12 whereby the detent face 24a is moved out of Contact with the face 25a of the latch. Then the kinetic energy of the latch, as Well as its gravitational bias, causes the latch to fall out of the detent 24. thus released and the toy 11 rebounds to a height greatly in excess of that from which it was released.

In order to prevent marring of a surface on which the toy Il may be dropped, the lower face of the disc 19 is preferably provided with a pad 28, which will also afford some protection for the lower disc.

An alternative embodiment 30 is shown in FIGURES 5-7, here being disguised as a common rubber ball. In this embodiment, an upper tubular member 31 at its upper end is formed with an integral radially outwardly extending ange 32, the iiange having a convex outer face whose radius of curvature corresponds to the radius of the toy 3i). At its lower end the tubular member 13 has a cap 33 affixed thereto and a lower shaft 34 has its upper end reciprocably slidably mounted in a bore 3S of the cap 33 so as to be coaxially aligned with the tubular member 31. As before, the cap 33 has a reduced diameter portion 36 receivable within the lower end of the tubular member 31 and an external circumferentially extending shoulder 3'7 to seat the lower end of the tubular member 3l. At the lower end of the shaft 34, a disc 38 is secured to the head of the shaft and this disc, like the ilange 32 of the tubular member 31, has a convex outer face of a radius of curvature approximating the radius of the toy 39.

The spring force of the wires 22 is r The cap 33 has a diametrically extending slot 39 through which the shaft 34 passes freely, A latch d is freely pivotally mounted in the slot 39 on a pin All mounted in the cap and extending through one apex of the trianguf larly shaped latch. A detent 42 is formed in that side of the shaft 34 facing the latch 4t).

The toy 30 has a spherical cover 43 of an elastomeric or rubberlike material and having thickened portions 4d and d5 fitting around the flange `32. and the disc 33 respectively, thus anchoring the upper end of the tubular member 3l and the lower end of the shaft 34. This cover gives the appearance of an ordinary rubber ball and conceals the interior mechanism including a coil spring 46 which in this instance provices a rebound force. As is apparent, this hidden rebound force gives a very unexpected effect to the act of dropping the toy 30.

The coil spring 46 is coaxially related to the shaft 34, being seated at its upper end on the lower face of the cap 33 and at its lower end on the thickened portion 45 of the cover 43 and against the disc 38. Thus, when opposed` pressure is applied to the opposite poles of the toy 30, the spring 46 is compressed until the detent 42 comes into registration with the latch 40. It will be understood that such opposed pressure is applied while the toy 3@ is in inverted position and the opposite poles of the toy at 4d and 45 may be identified by distinguishing markings for this purpose. Then, the latch lll will automatically fall into the detent 4t2, the toy 3G assuming an oblate shape, after which release of the opposed pressure on the poles will cause automatic locking of the latch and the detent. In this connection, the latch all also has a face lltz which seats on a face 42h of the detent to set up a couple, as in the case of the latch 25 and detent 24, affording a secure, positive latch.

The manner of the use of the toy 30 is substantially like that of the toy 11. Thus, the toy 3@ is dropped from a substantially upright position and, primarily because of the weight of the solid shaft 34, will fall in the upright position depicted in FIGURE 6. Upon impact with a hard surface, the movement of the shaft 43 is arrested while the tubular member 31 and latch 49 continue downward progress and the latch and detent are so moved out of registration. This effects` pivotal movement of the latch Lid to swing the latch out of the detent, after which` the spring d6 provides the rebounding force whereby the toy 30 rebounds to an altitude greatly exceeding that from which the toy was dropped.

The elastomeric cover 43 for the toy 3i) may provide some rebounding force. However, the cover 43 primarily serves to conceal the inner mechanism and to hold the tubular member 31, the shaft 3e and the latching mecha' nism in assembled relationship. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the cover for the operative portions of the mechanism may assume a Wide variety of shapes and is by no means limited to the spherical form.

While the embodiments herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of the invention and I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction or design herein shown but only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising:

a pair of elongated members inseparably arranged for slidable reciprocation within a limited range in the direction of their longitudinal axes,

biasing means connected to said pair of elongated members, said means yielding upon inward relative move ment of said members and normally biasing said members outwardly of one another,

latch means operatively associated with said members to releasably interlock said pair of members after a predetermined amount of inward relative movement of said members, said latch means thereafter preventing outward relative movement of said members by said biasing means, ibut releasing said members for relatively outward movement after further relatively inward movement of said members,

said toy having an eccentric center of gravity located approximately within one of said members to dispose the axes of said members substantially vertically during a free fall of said toy to cause an end of one of said members to strike a surface first to arrest its fall while the other member gravitationally moves inwardly relative to said one member sufficiently to release said latch means whereby said toy is free to rebound under the influence of said biasing means reacting against said surface.

A toy comprising:

pair of elongated members inseparably arranged for slidable reciprocation within a limited range in the direction of their longitudinal axes,

plurality of hoop springs having diametrically opposite portions connected to outer end portions of said pair of members normally biasing said elongated members for relative movement outwardly of one another and yieldably opposing relative inward movement of said members,

unidirectionally acting latch means to releasably interlock said members against said relatively outward movement after a predetermined amount of relatively inward movement of said members, said latch means permitting release of said members for outward relative movement of said members only upon further relatively inward movement of said members,

said toy having an eccentric center of gravity located approximately within one of said members disposing the axes of said members substantially vertically during a free fall of said toy to cause an end of one of said members to strike a surface to effect said further relatively inward movement of said members whereby said latch means is released and said toy rebounds under the influence of said spring means reacting against said surface.

A toy comprising:

upper and lower slidably engaged elongated members inseparably arranged for slidable reciprocation along their longitudinal axes within a limited range of relative movement,

spring means carried by said members and normally biasing said elongated members for relative movement outwardly of one another and yieldably opposing relatively inward movement of said members,

latch means comprising a latch mounted on the lower said toy having an eccentric center of gravity located in one of said members disposing the axes of said members substantially vertically during a free fall of said toy with said lower member lowermost whereby the lower end of said lower member strikes and is arrested by a surface to effect said further inwardly relative movement of said members against the force of said spring means and said toy then rebounds under the influence of said spring means reacting against said surface.

4. A toy as set forth in claim 3 in which said spring means comprises a plurality of hoop springs having diametrically opposite portions engaged with the upper end of said upper member and the lower end of said lower member.

6 5. A toy as in claim 3 in which said spring means comprise a coil spring extending helically around said lower member and having seating engagement with the lower end of said upper member and the lower end of said lower member, to be compressible between said ends of said members.

6. Atoy comprising:

upper and lower elongated members telescopically arranged for opposite relative movement,

a plurality of elongated arcuate members of a resiliently deformable material each of which is arranged substantially in a diametral plane including the longitudinal axes of said upper and lower telescopically arranged members and secured to the upper end of said upper member and the lower end of said lower member,

a latch pivotally mounted on the lower end of said upper member that is engageable with a downwardly facing shoulder formed in said lower member, said latch and shoulder coming into registration after said arcuate members have been deformed by opposed inwardly relative movement of said upper and lower members, said latch having a pivot axis positioned for gravitationally biasing said latch out of engagement with said shoulder and, also, positioned so that when said latch is engaged by said shoulder, the force of said deformed members biases said latch into engagement with said shoulder, said latch and shoulder when engaged, preventing opposite outward movement of said upper and lower members and permitting opposite inward movement of said upper and lower members,

said toy having an eccentric center of gravity located in its lower half adjacent said lower member so as to fall with said lower member lowermost during a free fall of said toy to cause the lower end of said lower member to strike and have its fall arrested by a surface with an impact to effect opposite inward movement of said upper and lower members against the force of said deformed arcuate members, whereby said shoulder is moved out of registration with said latch, said latch then gravitationally moving away from said lower member and said toy then rebounding under the force of said deformed arcuate members reacting against said surface.

7. A toy comprising:

upper and lower elongated members telescopically slidably arranged for opposite relative movement,

a coil spring around said lower member having a seat at its upper end on the lower face of said upper member and having a seat at its lower end at the lower end of said lower member to be compressible upon opposite inward movement of said pair of members, said coil spring biasing said pair of members oppositely outwardly of one another,

a latch pivotally mounted on the lower end of said upper member that is engageable with a downwardly facing shoulder formed in said lower member, said latch and shoulder coming into registration after said coil spring has been deformed by opposite inward movement of said upper and lower members,

said latch having a pivot axis positioned for gravitationally biasing said latch out of engagement with said shoulder and, also, positioned so that when said latch is engaged by said shoulder, the force of said coil spring biases said latch into engagement with said shoulder, said latch and shoulder, when engaged, preventing lopposite outward movement of said upper and lower members and permitting opposite inward movement of said upper and lower members, said toy being adapted to fall with said lower member lowermost during a free fall of said toy to cause the lower end of said lower member to strike a surface with an impact to effect opposite inward movement of said upper and lower members against the force 7 Y of said coil spring whereby said shuolder is moved References Cited by the Examiner out of registration with said latch, said latch then UNH-ED STATES PATENTS moving away from said lower member and said toy then rebounding under the force of said coil spring, 600'712 3/1898 Brown' and 5 1,054,916 3/1913 Gray 124-26 X a spherical outer cover on said toy of an elasomeric 2561019 8/1951 Gelb et al' 273-58'1 X sheet material, said cover having diametrically oppo- 3106397 10/1963 Lacey 2735'8 site areas connected to the upper end of said upper 31108395 10/1963 Goldfarb 273-106 X members andthe lower end of said lower member and serving to yieldably limit opposite outward movement RCHARD C' PNKHAM Prlmary Examl'w l0 of said members whereby to retain said members in LEGNARD W. VARNER, LOUIS R. PRINCE, telescopically assembled relationship. Examiners. 

1. A TOY COMPRISING: A PAIR OF ELONGATED MEMBERS INSEPARABLY ARRANGED FOR SLIDABLE RECIPROCATION WITHIN A LIMITED RANGE IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES, BIASING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PAIR OF ELONGATED MEMBERS, SAID MEANS YIELDING UPON INWARD RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS AND NORMALLY BIASING SAID MEMBERS OUTWARDLY OF ONE ANOTHER, LATCH MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MEMBERS TO RELEASABLY INTERLOCK SAID PAIR OF MEMBERS AFTER A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF INWARD RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID LATCH MEANS THEREAFTER PREVENTING OUTWARD RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS BY SAID BIASING MEANS, BUT RELEASING SAID MEMBERS FOR RELATIVELY OUTWARD MOVEMENT AFTER FURTHER RELATIVELY INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID TOY HAVING AN ECCENTRIC CENTER OF GRAVITY LOCATED APPROXIMATELY WITHIN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS TO DISPOSE 